People’s Perception and Water Consumption Behavior in High Fluoride Risk Area
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Abstract
Fluoride contamination in groundwater remains a persistent environmental and public health challenge in northern Thailand, where natural geological formations contribute to elevated fluoride concentrations. This study aimed to assess residents’ awareness of fluoride-related risks, drinking water practices, and acceptance of defluoridation technologies in high-fluoride areas of San Kamphaeng District, Chiang Mai Province. A total of 205 residents were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The results showed that bottled water was the most commonly used for household water consumption, accounting for 66.9% for drinking and 42.3% for cooking. However, some households in high-fluoride villages still relied on untreated groundwater, with drinking and cooking accounting for up to 4.2% and 14.3% of total daily water use, respectively. Although 92.7% indicated strong support for a community defluoridation system, most respondents demonstrated limited knowledge of fluoride contamination and its health implications. No significant effects of gender or age were observed regarding knowledge, perceived risk, perception of groundwater use, or the desire for defluoridation system. These findings underscore the need for strengthened public education and community-based communication strategies to promote safer water consumption and support long-term access to safe drinking water.
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